Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the company. JonesTrading started coverage on Bristow Group in a report on Friday, January 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Bristow Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on shares of Bristow Group in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $60.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Bristow Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Bristow Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $60.00.

Bristow Group Stock Up 0.1%

Bristow Group stock opened at $42.39 on Friday. Bristow Group has a twelve month low of $28.03 and a twelve month high of $50.38. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $46.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $42.25. The company has a current ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.04 and a beta of 1.29.

Bristow Group (NYSE:VTOL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by ($0.57). Bristow Group had a return on equity of 11.10% and a net margin of 7.51%.The company had revenue of $388.71 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $383.68 million. As a group, equities analysts expect that Bristow Group will post 4.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Bristow Group

In other news, Director Lorin L. Brass sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.00, for a total transaction of $45,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 17,455 shares in the company, valued at approximately $785,475. This represents a 5.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Wesley E. Kern sold 3,079 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.83, for a total transaction of $144,189.57. Following the sale, the director owned 32,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,498,560. This trade represents a 8.78% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 61,104 shares of company stock valued at $2,869,206. Corporate insiders own 13.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VTOL. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Bristow Group during the first quarter worth about $1,119,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in Bristow Group by 4.4% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 14,592 shares of the company’s stock worth $461,000 after purchasing an additional 609 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in Bristow Group by 178.7% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 53,526 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,690,000 after purchasing an additional 34,317 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in Bristow Group during the first quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Creative Planning purchased a new position in Bristow Group during the second quarter worth about $236,000. 93.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Bristow Group

Bristow Group Inc is a global provider of helicopter services to the offshore energy industry and search-and-rescue (SAR) operations worldwide. The company specializes in the safe and efficient transport of personnel, equipment and supplies to offshore oil and gas platforms, as well as emergency response and medevac services. Bristow’s operations support exploration, production and decommissioning activities, helping energy companies maintain continuity of production in some of the world’s most challenging environments.

The company maintains a diverse fleet of turbine-powered helicopters, including medium- and heavy-lift aircraft such as the Sikorsky S-92, Airbus H225 (formerly EC225) and Leonardo AW189.